COURTS scaling back.
Operations at two of Arkansas’ largest courts, both in Little Rock, will be curtailed for the next few weeks to limit public exposure to the spreading covid-19 virus as authorities encourage judges and lawyers to find ways to work remotely.
The Pulaski County Courthouse was closed to the public Friday through the end of March at the order of County Judge Barry Hyde, with limited exceptions for emergency actions, like domestic-abuse victims seeking protection orders.
“We are doing what’s necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Central Arkansas and surrounding areas,” Hyde said in a news release. “Restricting access to our buildings may be seen as an inconvenience but it’s necessary to keep everyone safe.”
The courthouse closure does not mean that hearings scheduled between now and March 31 will be automatically canceled. Anyone with a pending hearing should contact the court to determine whether to appear, according to the county judge’s order.
Hyde’s order extends the access restrictions he put in place Thursday on the county administration building — which includes the offices of the treasurer, assessor and county public defender. The new order includes the courthouse, the county regional building, the prosecutor’s office and the district-court and juvenile-justice complex.
Only county employees, court workers and elected officials will be allowed unrestricted entrance, Hyde stated in his order. Business that
is not time-sensitive should be postponed until at least April, the county judge’s order states. Hyde encouraged county officials to look for opportunities to conduct operations remotely.
“Business should be conducted digitally, by phone, email, online or video conference, if at all possible,” his order states. “If not possible, persons needing to conduct in-person business with county offices should contact the office to schedule a meeting appropriate to their needs.”
At the federal courthouse, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas “is open to do the people’s business and will remain open,” Chief Judge D. Price Marshall Jr. stated in a two-page order Friday.
As of the end of the day Friday, the Western District court, headquartered in Fort Smith, had not issued any coronavirus directives.
Marshall stated that court operations will be modified and gradually scaled back to essentials, which includes canceling all civil jury trials through April 30, which could be as many as 13. A mock-trial event for W.H. Bowen School of Law students and a naturalization ceremony, both scheduled for April, have been postponed indefinitely.
Criminal trials will not be affected for now, Marshall stated. Any lawyer or party with civil or criminal business before the court who might be infected with the virus or has come into contact with someone infected should immediately notify the presiding judge to arrange a phone or video conference to decide how to proceed while still protecting public health, the judge’s order states.
In a letter Friday to the state’s judges, Chief Justice Dan Kemp of the Arkansas Supreme Court encouraged judges to avoid health risks by postponing proceedings or holding hearings by phone or video, all while still being mindful of the public nature of the courts.
“Our goal is to continue court proceedings in a safe manner using appropriate protocols recommended by the [federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention],” Kemp wrote. “Please be aware that our courts are open to the public under the Arkansas Constitution and that the public shall have access to court proceedings. If you hold a … conference hearing, you should consider a method by which the public may have access.”
The Supreme Court has dedicated a part of its website to serve as a clearinghouse for local courts to report scheduling and policy changes related to virus protection. It’s available at: bit.ly/2QgpDh7.
The only other circuit court reporting any scheduling change is Jefferson County Circuit Court in Pine Bluff, which will be closed Monday. County officials will then assess the situation to decide how to proceed after that.
District courts reporting plans to modify their operations in response to the virus include Bethel Heights in Benton County, Conway County, Craighead County, Grant County, Harrisburg in Poinsett County, Hot Spring County, Jacksonville, Jefferson County, Lawrence County, Logan County in Paris, Perry County, Pine Bluff, Pulaski County and Sherwood.
Little Rock’s district courts — divided among criminal, traffic and environmental matters — are modifying their schedules to limit potential exposure to the virus, city spokesman Lamor Williams stated in a news release.
Traffic court appearances scheduled through Friday have been canceled with all non-time-sensitive cases reset by six weeks, the release said. Environmental court is also suspending appearances and operations, and all criminal court trials and hearings have been pushed back until April 13.
Anyone with district court cases pending should contact the relevant court to determine how they are affected, according to the news release.
In North Little Rock District Court, Monday traffic arraignments have been canceled for the time being with the only defendants required to appear personally are drivers accused of driving while intoxicated, reckless driving and extreme-speed offenses, Traffic Judge Randy Morley said earlier this week.
The district’s criminal division also will reschedule all court dates until after May 19, and probationers will be excused from in-person reporting until May 18, Criminal Court Judge Paula Juels Jones said in a statement earlier. Attorneys with clients in custody can call her staff to schedule necessary hearings, she said.